


Away We March In Style

by autobotscoutriella



Series: Archaeometric Dating [8]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Fade to Black implications, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Mild Angst, finally some actual romance in this romantic series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-31 09:57:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20113231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autobotscoutriella/pseuds/autobotscoutriella
Summary: On the eve of their deployment to the front lines, Lancer realizes she and Greenlight need to have an important conversation.





	Away We March In Style

**Author's Note:**

> Written entirely because a lovely anonymous reviewer went through the other seven works in this series, and I figure anyone with that kind of dedication to this ship deserves an explicitly romantic series addition. Enjoy, Anon.

The night after the announcement, the entire base was quiet, as if everyone had retreated back into their rooms to process the news. Lancer, for her part, had retreated to Greenlight's room rather than her own, but that was their usual pattern these days.

“I can't believe they're moving us out to the front lines already.” Greenlight perched on the end of her bunk with one knee pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around her calf. “Aren't we supposed to have more training? More...something?”

“I wish I knew.” Lancer dropped onto the other end of the bunk, pushing a folded tarp out of her way so she could sit back against the wall. “You've heard the rumors. Maybe there just isn't time to keep training, and they need us in the field now.”

“Because we're losing the war?” Greenlight ran a hand over her Autobot brand, seemingly unconscious of the movement. “We'd have more than rumors if that was the case, I thought. Not that Command would announce it like _that_, but...there'd be official reports about lost battles, that kind of thing. All the official reports say the 'Cons are pushing hard, but...not that we're losing.”

“Yeah, maybe you're right. I hope you're right.” Lancer leaned her helm back against the wall and swallowed hard. “I wasn't expecting it to be this soon. I thought they'd keep us on non-combat missions—or at least no _planned_ combat missions—for at least a few more months, maybe a year.” She didn't finish the thought out loud. _We're not ready. A lot of us are going to die._

“Maybe it won't be so bad.” Greenlight straightened and scooted back to sit beside Lancer. “You know anything about Commander Elita One?”

“Only by reputation. I've never met her, but I'm pretty sure she was in the Elite Guard before the war. From what I hear, she's as good as they come. A real warrior.”

“Well, if she wanted us, that says something good, right?” Greenlight's fingers interlocked and twisted nervously. Lancer reached over instinctively and took Greenlight's hand, only realizing what she was doing when her companion turned to look at her. Greenlight made no move to pull away, though, and after a moment's blush Lancer kept her hand where it was.

“Aye, it does. She must think we've got what it takes to keep up with her.” Lancer decided not to point out that it might not have been up to the commanders to pick which recruits went with them. Greenlight knew that perfectly well, and crushing her optimism would have been mean.

They sat silently, hand in hand, for a few moments before Greenlight spoke again. “At least they assigned us together. I'd hate to be sent somewhere without my best friend. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” It was supposed to sound lighthearted, but there was an undertone of worry that made Lancer’s spark hurt.

“Yeah. Me too. We…I’m glad they assigned us together.” Lancer looked down at their intertwined hands, swallowed hard again, and forced herself to keep going before her courage could fail. “Actually, I, uh...I've been meaning to tell you. Something about that.”

“Tell me?” Greenlight turned to look at her, big blue optics blinking in curiosity. “Tell me what?”

Lancer fought the urge to look down, and met Greenlight's optics. “Just that—well, you've been my best friend pretty much since we met, and I don't want to make it weird, but I think I—you're more than a friend. To me. And I'd—well, I was hoping we'd have more time on non-combat missions. So that it didn't feel quite so much like an end-of-the-world thing when I told you. But if we're going out to the front lines tomorrow, I wanted to say something. At least once.” She managed a smile and raised one shoulder in a shrug. “I—I think I'm in love with you.”

And there it was, out in the open.

Greenlight's optics went wide, and for an instant, panic rose in Lancer’s spark. Should she have kept that to herself? Had she misjudged the situation? Was it too late, now that they were being assigned on the front lines? Had she—

“I—I'm glad you told me.” Greenlight squeezed Lancer's hand tightly, optics shining bright blue and beautiful. “I thought—maybe—I didn't want to say something in case it ruined things or you didn't feel that way or—” She broke off, looking down at their intertwined hands nervously and then back up. “I hoped—I—well, I wasn't sure what to hope for, but I thought maybe we…that there’s something there.”

Lancer took a moment to decipher that, hardly daring to hope that she'd interpreted it correctly. “Are you saying you could...maybe feel the same way?”

Greenlight blushed, fingers twining around Lancer's. “To be honest, I've...kind of had a crush since you rescued me in that alley. Remember? Before I signed on? But...we were friends, and then best friends, and it seemed weird to bring it up. You know? But I...I mean, you're more than my best friend. You have been for a long time. I might—I might be in love with you, too.”

Lancer could feel the smile spreading across her face, even while she struggled to come up with a response. “I'm...I don't know how to tell you how happy that makes me.” She looked down at their hands again, green and gold plating interlocking, and thought that it looked good. It looked _right_.

A long moment of quiet followed, before Greenlight turned a little bit so she was facing Lancer and asked shyly, “Can I kiss you?”

Lancer tightened her grip on Greenlight's hand and pulled her a little closer. “I'd like that.”

It was a cautious, almost timid, kiss at first, touches careful and gentle, but that only lasted for a moment before both of them were pulling each other close, clinging as if it might be the last time they had a chance. When the kiss finally broke, Lancer rested her forehead against Greenlight's, unwilling to pull away just yet.

“We should've done this sooner,” she murmured, closing her optics for a few seconds. “We could've—I don't know, found time for an actual date. It wouldn't have been like dating before the war, but I wish we had more time.”

Greenlight hummed, the vibration thrumming through her plating everywhere it touched Lancer's. “We have all night,” she offered, leaning her weight against Lancer's shoulder. “And tomorrow, and maybe the day after that. I mean...I know it's the front lines, tomorrow, but that doesn't mean we're both going to die immediately. Maybe...maybe the next base will have a nice quiet corner in the mess hall, and we can go on a real date. What do you say?”

Lancer had to laugh, though it was tinged with a hint of sadness, at the mental image of trying to quietly share drinks in the corner of a crowded mess hall. “I don’t know about that. But we can hope.”

“We can. Let's worry about logistics tomorrow.” Greenlight pulled her in for another kiss, and when it ended, whispered, “We can both be optimists for one night. Yeah?”

Lancer considered that, and nodded. “Yeah. We can.”

Tomorrow, they would drive out, to death or battle or whatever else was waiting out on the front lines. They had no choice.

But tonight could be different.


End file.
